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American soldiers in World Wars I and II would carry copies of the Gospel of John with them as they journeyed to faraway battles.  This single book has done more to shape human thought and behavior than any other work.  Our uniquely American First Amendment right of free speech is based on ministers preaching of the "Word" of God as described in the first few verses of the Gospel of John.

American soldiers in World Wars I and II would carry copies of the Gospel of John with them as they journeyed to faraway battles.  This single book has done more to shape human thought and behavior than any other work.  Our uniquely American First Amendment right of free speech is based on ministers preaching of the "Word" of God as described in the first few verses of the Gospel of John.

In addition to the four [[synoptic]] or Canonical gospels, many other early texts claiming to record the accounts of Jesus's earthly ministry have survived.  Most notable among these is the [[Gospel of Thomas]], which some scholars believe is as old as the Canonical gospels, and contains additional sayings and teachings.  Recently, a [[Gospel of Judas]] surfaced, but this text is decidedly a later one, and its claim for any original authority is very slim.

In addition to the four [[synoptic]] or Canonical gospels, many other early texts claiming to record the accounts of Jesus's earthly ministry have survived.  Most notable among these is the [[Gospel of Thomas]], which some scholars believe is as old as the Canonical gospels, and contains additional sayings and teachings.  Recently, a [[Gospel of Judas]] surfaced, but this text is decidedly a later one, and its claim for any original authority is very slim.  These Gospels are considered [[apocryphal]] by nearly all modern Christian denominations, and therefore not authoritative texts, but they have stirred considerable interest among theologians and many lay believers in early Christian beliefs.

[[Category:Bible]]

[[Category:Bible]]